Owen MacLean

Humans of Northwood: Cooper Plotts ‘26

December 5, 2025 by Owen MacLean

“I’m from Ponte Vedra, Florida, which is about a 3.5-hour flight from Lake Placid. I played for South Kent School in Connecticut before I came to Northwood. I chose Northwood for the Prep hockey team being very strong, while also having good academics.

“My favorite part about Northwood is playing hockey every day and playing against some of the best teams. I also love having all my friends here and being together all the time in the dorms.

“My favorite place to eat in town definitely has to be Luna’s. The best thing there is the penne a la vodka with chicken.

“My plans after I graduate from Northwood are to play junior hockey. After juniors, I would like to play NCAA hockey, where I would want to major in business or psychology.

“The best memory I have at Northwood is getting to hang out with all my friends in the dorms. It is an atmosphere you can’t describe, and you become so close with the guys. I also love playing golf with my friends in the spring. It’s always fun after class to go straight to the course.

“The best advice I could give is to be in the moment. This means not focusing on what has happened before or what will happen in the future. Focus on the present and be in that moment and enjoy it as you only get one try at it.”

As told to Owen MacLean ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Hartford Wolfpack Practice in Lake Placid

December 5, 2025 by Owen MacLean

Photo: Hartford Wolf Pack.

After the morning practice on November 5th, the Boys Prep and Varsity teams got a massive surprise on the 1932 rink, when the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack came on the rink after them to practice. The Prep team had the chance to watch the Wolfpack practice before heading back to school.

“I just really liked seeing how skilled everyone was, and they were all extremely dialled. They did not make any mistakes,” noted Charles Pigeon ‘26

The team’s reason for practicing in Lake Placid is unknown, but professional teams have been known to come into town to play on the Olympic rinks to try to break their losing streaks. The Wolfpack have started the season with a losing record of 3-6. So maybe this was a special trip to our local area to try to help out their season. Or it may be because they were making their way north to Montreal, Quebec to play the Laval Rockets on Friday night.

The Hartford Wolfpack is the AHL farm team for the New York Rangers. The team is pretty young, with several really well-known former junior and NCAA players on the Roster. Parker Thompson ’26 is a close family friend of Carey Terrance. “We always grew up together. Our parents are very close. We train together in the off-season, and I hang out with him a lot back home,” said Thompson. Terrance was the captain last season for the OHL’s Erie Otters and gold medal winner at the 2025 World Junior Championships for Team USA. Former OHL champion with the Peterborough Petes and 2023 World Junior Champion for Team Canada, Brennan Othmann, was also on the ice. As well as Gabe Perrault, last year’s Hockey East Champion with Boston College and teammate of Terrance on Team USA at the 2025 World Junior Championships. Perrault would be called up to the New York Rangers later that week.

The opportunity to watch these players up close is a unique experience. Thompson noted, “The main difference between their practice and ours was the nonstop communication between guys. They could also just do things at a lot higher pace.” It’s an opportunity to see up close what it takes to make it to the next level in pro hockey.

While their practice at the Lake Placid Olympic Center did not break their losing streak. The Wolfpack ended up losing 4-2 to the Laval Rocket on Friday night and 2-1 to the Belleville Sens on Saturday night, it hopefully was a fun experience for their players to get a taste of Lake Placid and learn a little bit about the history of the rinks.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports

Canadian vs American Thanksgiving: A Comparison

November 11, 2025 by Owen MacLean

Illustration: southlakeessential.com

Many students come from Canada to the United States to attend Northwood. Most of the holidays between the two countries are the same, except Thanksgiving. It truly is a cultural difference you wouldn’t expect to see coming from Canada, given how important Thanksgiving is here. “This is my second year in the U.S now, and seeing Thanksgiving here definitely was different from back home, with some things being the same,” said Quebec resident Henrik Hinse ’26.

Here is a comparison of Thanksgiving between the two countries. You can see they are both quite unique in how they celebrate.

Date. In Canada, we celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October. This typically marks the end of the harvest season before the weather changes. Canadians have a shorter agricultural season due to being farther north. In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. This lines up with the end of the fall harvest and the start of the holiday season.

History. The first celebration of Thanksgiving in Canada dates to 1578, when explorer Martin Frobisher held a ceremony in Newfoundland to give thanks for his safe voyage from England. Thanksgiving was later influenced by European harvest festivals. In 1957, the Canadian government officially set the date in October to celebrate Thanksgiving. On the American side, the historical origins of Thanksgiving trace back to Plymouth, Massachusetts, where the Pilgrims and the native Wampanoag people held a three-day feast to symbolize cooperation and gratitude. Congress passed a law in 1941 to officially set the date of Thanksgiving in November.

Food. Here we are the same. The holiday meal typically features turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.

Traditions. Thanksgiving in Canada is very low-key. We do get Monday off from school or work. Most people have their big Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday and use Monday to rest. It is common to go for a walk in the forest to look at the fall colors. There are a couple of CFL football games on, and many people use the holiday Monday to prepare their flower beds for winter. There are no big shopping or sales.

On the other hand, Thanksgiving in the United States is a major national holiday. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is on TV. There are lots of NFL and college football games on. It is also one of the busiest travel days of the year. Thanksgiving rolls into Black Friday, and many people take this day off to start their Christmas shopping. It is a much more festive experience.

With the extra festivities in the United States, many Canadians have adopted some new traditions to bring back home and perhaps celebrate Thanksgiving twice a year. “In my family back home, we never really do Thanksgiving, so I for sure might bring it back,” said Quebec resident Theodore Ghanime ’26.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

First Quarter Report Cards Released

November 4, 2025 by Owen MacLean

Illustration: clipground

On October 24^th, the first quarter of the school year officially concluded at Northwood. First-quarter report cards are now available for download on both the student and parent portals. This report card includes both academic grades and effort marks for each class, which influence study hall privilege changes for some dorm students in the second quarter.

Northwood’s honor roll system marks academic achievement across the school as follows:

Dean’s List
- Grades 11 & 12: Minimum weighted GPA of 4.00 with no grades below B+
- Grades 9 & 10: Minimum weighted GPA of 3.70 with no grades below B+
High Honor Roll
- Grades 11 & 12: Minimum weighted GPA of 3.70 with no grades below B
- Grades 9 & 10: Minimum weighted GPA of 3.30 with no grades below B
Honor Roll
- Grades 11 & 12: Minimum weighted GPA of 3.30 with no grades below B−
- Grades 9 & 10: Minimum weighted GPA of 3.00 with no grades below B−

To calculate your GPA click here to read our GPA Calculator Article.

Students’ effort marks in each class can range from excellent, good, fair, or poor. To get a rating of excellent, teachers are looking for students who complete all their assignments, engage in class, try to master material, show respect, and come to class prepared and on time. Students who earn three or more excellent effort marks in their courses in the first quarter, with no effort mark below good, are placed on the Effort Honor Roll.

As the second quarter begins, students on the Effort Honor Roll gain additional study hall privileges, allowing them to also study in the library or living room in addition to their dorm rooms. All other students will continue with in-room study hall from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

The final change for the second quarter at Northwood is the start of the winter schedule on November 3. All co-curricular activities will happen from Tuesday to Friday mornings, with classes starting after lunch. On Mondays, classes start at 9 a.m., and there is a school meeting and a Northwood Seminar in the middle of the day. This winter schedule is particularly beneficial for the ski teams, allowing them to train in daylight at Whiteface, Mt. Van Hoevenberg, and the Olympic Jumping Complex. This winter schedule will remain in place until March 27, when students depart for spring break.

Filed Under: Northwood Life

Catching Up with Nick Palmer ‘25

November 3, 2025 by Owen MacLean

Today, we are checking in with Nick Palmer ’25, who is currently attending Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island. The campus is located on the water of Mount Hope Bay. “I decided to attend Roger Williams University because of the strong business program, beautiful campus location, and the opportunity to play college hockey,” Palmer said recently from his new campus.

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Photos: Roger Williams Hockey (Instagram)

Palmer, who is in his first year of business school, says his “favorite thing about college so far has been the amount of time and flexibility you have every day.” His current schedule consists of hockey practice in the mornings from 8-10 a.m. and classes usually between 11a.m.-5 p.m. each day. He usually has up to three classes per day, each lasting an hour. Then he has workouts after class. Palmer notes his current university schedule is “very similar to Northwood’s winter schedule.”

This year is special for Roger Williams University. It is the inaugural season for their men’s DIII hockey team. Palmer provided some information on the recruiting process for him to play for the Roger Williams Hawks. The process “involved coaches coming and watching my games,” Palmer said. “Following this came lots of emails and then campus tours. It’s a cool experience.”

The Hawks played their first exhibition game on October 21 against the EHL All Stars. The Hawks won 3-2 in overtime. “The first game was good; our team is growing and improving every day as we continue to get more comfortable with our teammates and systems.”

The team’s first official DIII game is on October 25 against Albertus Magnus College. Palmer is most looking forward to playing Curry College in January, stating, “I think it’s always cool to play high-end teams, and they were very good last season.”

Palmer has great memories of his time at Northwood last year. His favorite part of Northwood was the town of Lake Placid and the rink. He misses the students, faculty, and staff, saying, “It is a very tight-knit community that is unlike any other.”

To end the interview, Palmer provided some advice for current Northwood hockey players looking to play NCAA hockey. “Take it one day at a time. It’s easy to get caught up in everything that goes on during the process, but if you continue to work hard and do the right things, everything will come together. Your time at Northwood flies by, and it’s so important to have a smile on your face and enjoy every day you have here.”

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Sports

Protecting the School During Flu Season

October 27, 2025 by Owen MacLean

Source: Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

When you live in dorms with many students, the change of season from summer to fall means one thing: cold and flu season. For the next few months, you can hear coughing and people blowing their noses all around campus. So how can you avoid getting sick this season? Here are a few recommendations from Nurse Marge:

Open your dorm window to increase air circulation.
Wash your hands with soap and water and/or use hand sanitizer.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth as much as possible.
Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow.
Stay away from people when you are sick.
When cleaning your room, disinfect high-touch areas like doorknobs, keyboards, and cell phones.
Get your flu shot.
Consider wearing a mask when you are sick and need to be around a lot of people.

Northwood is prepared for cold and flu season. The annual flu shot clinic was held on October 14th for students who signed up. The washrooms are ready with soap and water, and hand sanitizer is available throughout campus. There is also an infirmary with five private rooms if you get extremely ill.

Students who feel like they have cold or flu symptoms can see Nurse Maher at the Student Health Center for help. Nurse Maher suggests if you have the following symptoms, “feeling very tired, having a high fever, headache, dry cough, sore throat, runny nose and sore muscles are all signs to come see me at the nurse’s office.” There is a supply of over-the-counter medications available to students to alleviate their symptoms, such as cough drops, Tylenol, Advil, Emergen-C, Mucinex and nasal spray. If you are extremely sick and live in the dorms, you may be put on a sick day and must remain in your room or in the infirmary to rest and recover.

While the goal is to stay healthy this fall, it is not unusual for illnesses to spread through the dorms and across sports teams. Take precautions where you can, but if you do get sick, there are supports in place to help you feel better soon. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Real World, Top Story

Humans of Northwood: Max Stracar ‘26

October 19, 2025 by Owen MacLean

“I’m from Syosset, New York, which is about five and a half hours away from here. I played hockey for the North Jersey Avalanche before. I chose to come to Northwood because of the great hockey program, while also being very good academically.

“My favourite part about Northwood has to be the fun weekend activities. I like hanging out with my new friends and meeting new people throughout the school.

“My favorite artist has to be Zach Bryan. I went to his concert at MetLife, and it was the best thing I have ever seen.

“After I graduate from Northwood, I want to play junior hockey before hopefully playing D1 hockey in college, where I’d like to pursue a degree in economics and then attend law school and become a corporate lawyer.

“My favorite Northwood memory so far definitely is the Pink the Rink game. The whole school was there, and it made the atmosphere very energetic. I loved playing in front of everyone and getting a big win. I also liked all the setup for all the pink stuff throughout the rink, like the posters.

“The best advice I’d have to give is “be where your feet are.” Meaning live in the present and don’t focus on future things. Focus on where you are now, as this time being a senior is very special, and you only get to do it once.”

As told to Owen MacLean ’26. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People

Instagram Account “Brings Community Together”

October 12, 2025 by Owen MacLean

If you are on Instagram, you may have recently started to follow a new student-run account called @picaday.nw. Charles Pigeon ’26 and Henry Kress ’26 manage the page together. Each day, a new candid post is uploaded that features Pigeon and Kress posing with Northwood students and staff. Each post also features a song that matches the day’s theme. Pigeon described their vision for the page, “At first it was just going to be a photo of us each day, but then Kress had the idea to have someone new in it each day, and after that the idea blossomed.”

Photo: Instagram/@picaday.nw

Posts focus on activities happening on campus, such as Mountain Day or Pink T-Shirt Day, but they often capture day-to-day life on campus, including moments like hanging out in the living room or riding the bus to the rink. Kress said their goal for the page was to “have lighthearted fun around campus while also showing the diversity Northwood has and that could maybe influence new kids coming into the school by showing what goes on.” It has added a little fun to the day while followers wait to see who gets posted daily.

Pigeon and Kress design their posts together, although they say they ask the person who is in the post for any requests. Once the photo is taken, both are responsible for picking the music and uploading it to the account. To date, their most popular post was Mountain Day with Mr. Leblanc. They both confirm that, “there is some theme to it every day, if it is something important, but some days it is just whatever is going on at campus. Other times, we just come up with random themes and ideas for the post with the person in the post that day.”

They are hoping to get a picture with each student at Northwood this year to complete their page. Pigeon stated their goal photo this year is to have a post with Mr. Riffle, and if they could get a celebrity to pose with them, Pigeon would choose Sidney Crosby, and Kress wants Alex Ovechkin.

Their follower count is growing daily. “I like the page because it is something to look forward to every day,” Cooper Plotts ‘26, said. “It is something that is usually funny and brings our community together when it is posted that day.” Plotts added he “really wants to see Lynchy (Coach Lynch) on it next. I think it would be really funny.”

If you see Pigeon or Kress around school and have an idea for a post, consider pitching it to them. You could be the next person featured on @picaday.nw.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Top Story

Prep Hockey Shows Promise in Pittsburgh

September 29, 2025 by Owen MacLean

The Prep hockey team in Pittsburgh. Photo provided.

Northwood Prep played its first out-of-town games in Pittsburgh this past weekend, at the USHL Fall Classic. After a 9-hour drive from Lake Placid to Pittsburgh, the weekend started off with team building at a Pittsburgh Pirates game at PNC Park. While the Pirates lost 4-3 to the Oakland A’s, the game ended with the most amazing fireworks show over the river and bridge. Max Stracar ‘26 enjoyed the road trip. “It was really fun with the guys getting to be outside of the rink with them. The highlight was definitely the fireworks, and all around I think made the guys closer.”

The Prep team started the weekend with a 5-2 win against Team Illinois. On Sunday, the morning game was a tough 5-4 shootout loss to Atlantic Coast Academy. The day would end on a high note, with the team taking down the hometown Pittsburgh Pens Elite in a back-and-forth 4-2 game.

“This weekend when we were at our best, we were a very hard team to play against. We were relentless on the pressure and the forecheck, so there were some positives to take out,” Assistant Coach Dylan Giacin said.

Immediately after the game, the entire arena would be evacuated by the fire department due to elevated levels of carbon monoxide. Later that night, a memo from Frank Butler, Senior Director of Player Personnel for the USHL, would be sent to all teams participating in the tournament. He advised that the remaining games from Sunday night would be canceled. The fire department determined that the high levels of carbon monoxide were caused by a faulty Zamboni. Butler’s memo noted, “Unfortunately, there was no choice but to change the 16U and 18U divisions to showcase format.” This meant the Prep team’s tournament would turn into a showcase with only four games instead of the possible five.

Northwood’s fourth game was on Monday afternoon. It was a tough 5-2 loss to the Brookline Whalers, a split-season team for Dexter Southfield School.

Coach Giacin spoke about what needs to be worked on this week. “We need to build that consistent effort. When we were on, we were relentless and had high energy, but we were inconsistent with that. We need to get all-out energy from the guys this week,” he said.

It was a good weekend for players to get to know each other. There were some big highs and lows. Team Captain Parker Thompson ‘26 said, “It was a great weekend for the guys to build chemistry away from the ice, and it got us tighter. We had some good moments and now know what we need to build on going further.”

Going into this week, the Prep team has an off weekend to regroup and practice. On Family Weekend, the team will play two games against Upper Canada College, which will serve as a good test for them.

Filed Under: Sports

U16 Team Drops Two in Opening Weekend

September 23, 2025 by Owen MacLean

U16 Assistant Coach Justin Felhaber ’14. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.

The 2025-26 season has started for the Northwood boys 16U hockey team. The team played two games against the Buffalo Jr. Sabres on September 13-14 at the Nexus Center in Utica. This was their first time playing together as a team.

While the games did not go as they had hoped – losing 5-2 and 3-1 – Assistant Coach Justin Felhaber ’14 noted, “For being our first weekend, we went and played against a highly ranked 16U team that has played together for a few years and played more games.” Northwood’s 16U team had only been playing together for about ten days before they headed to Utica. “We kind of expected this would be a great challenge. It was ultimately positive. We did a very good job bouncing back, and we did not lose our confidence throughout the games. Our belief in ourselves really helped us coming into the second game getting some very good chances,” Coach Felhaber ’14 added.

“The boys played strong; now just got to play into our systems, and we will be fine for the next games,” Ethan Fitzpatrick ‘27 said.

As this is the first season in several years that Northwood has offered a 16U hockey team, it is a season of firsts. Kelly Matozzo ‘28 scored the first goal, down low from a pass from the point by Luca Staffieri ‘27. Remember their names; they have become part of Northwood’s rich hockey history and may even become the answer to a school trivia question one day.

Coach Felhaber ‘14 named a few standouts from the first games. “I got to give my hat off to the new guys, it is always a challenge getting acclimated to a new team. Chase Brock ‘27 as well, he really established himself as a leader on this team, and his positivity was really infectious through the squad this weekend.”

This week, the team has been practicing daily. Coach Felhaber ’14 says the focus has been on “locking down our D zone and transition game. With another week together working on systems as a team, it will set a solid foundation for the rest of the season.”

The team is looking forward to the upcoming Yale Showcase on September 20 – 21, in Hamden, Connecticut. They will be playing against the Valley Forge Minutemen and Boston Advantage. Their goal is to record the first of many wins this season.